Despite a sceptical greeting and a slow start in the 80s, mobile phones have had one of the largest changes on society of any recent technology. Initially derided as a status symbol for yuppies and city traders, large scale production quickly moved them from flashy status symbol, to must have gadget, to commonplace appliance.

As mobile phones became smaller, cheaper, and simpler to use, more and more people began to use them. Even as they became every day items, carried around as an essential along with our house keys and purse, the miniature computers inside them become more and more powerful.

These large increases in computing capability enabled the manufacturers and carriers to start offering customisation options, allowing users to customise their own phones with clip on covers, wallpaper images to display on screen - and cheap ringtones.

Initially only basic hot ringtones were available, using a limited range of sounds to play the sort of tacky tune you’d expect to hear as hold music. Quickly, manufacturers soon realised how profitable hot ringtones were, and so started to add more complex sound functions to their mobiles.

Mobile phones can now play complete CD quality songs and sound effects, and be customised to play a specific song for a group of people, as well as when recieving a text message or other alarm. The once bulky and ostentatious status symbols have now changed into essential hand held computers, combining PDA and mobile music system.